Boots to make big changes to Advantage Card discounts in huge shake-up – and shoppers will be divided
BOOTS is set to make big changes to its Advantage Card discounts in a huge shake-up – but shoppers will be divided.
From May, the health and beauty retailer will offer customers on the loyalty scheme 10% off on over 6,000 own-brand products.
The retailer said over 70% of Boots Advantage Card holders typically have one in five items in their basket from own brand ranges.
Its Price Advantage scheme will be extended too, offering customers lower prices on over 1,000 big brand products.
But, Boots is set to update its loyalty points offering so that for every £1 spent, customers will get three points instead of four.
Specific groups of customers will get additional benefits on top of the loyalty points though.
Over 60s will get eight points for every £1 spent on Boots’ own brand products while Boots Parenting Club members will receive eight points for every £1 spent on baby products.
Meanwhile, students will receive an added 10% discount and Boots Opticians customers on a Contact Lens Rewards Plan will get an extra 10% off Boots own brand products.
The health and beauty retailer said it will also be offering customers more opportunities to earn double or extra points too.
Pete Markey, chief marketing officer, said: “Customers want to be rewarded with on-the-spot lower prices and instant value.
“We’ve also noticed that Advantage Card members are now more frequently using their points to buy essentials instead of saving them up.
“We’ve listened and have expanded the scheme to give more instant reward, immediate value and lower prices.”
Boots’ Advantage Card launched in 1997 and celebrated its 25th year in 2022.
Across its history, over 15million customers have used the loyalty scheme to get bonus points when they spend money online or in-store.
Over 50,000 customers who signed up to the scheme in 1997 were still using the card as of August 2022.
Last year, Boots launched Price Advantage which offers customers with a Boots Advantage card access to lower prices on different products, much like the Tesco Clubcard.
In recent months, Boots expanded its own brand range to offer 6,000 products across baby, health and beauty departments.
This month, the chain launched its up to 70% off sale on hundreds of products.
Customers can get everything from a Joules “Cosy Night In” set to a Gillette Labs Complete Regime Gift set.
Boots operates over 2,200 stores across the UK and employs 51,000 members of staff.
What other retailers run reward schemes?
Boots isn’t the only retailer that runs reward schemes to entice customers in.
Tesco’s Clubcard is popular among its customer base, offering them exclusive prices on a number of products.
Shoppers also get to build up loyalty points which they can use to pay for their next shop or at a number of Tesco’s partners, including Pizza Express and English Heritage.
You get one point for each £1 spent online or in-store after scanning your card or app.
You also get one point for every £2 spent on fuel.
One point equals 1p, but you need a minimum of 150 points to request a voucher.
Crucially, the points you earn are worth triple if you use them at one of Tesco’s partners.
Sainsbury’s also runs its Nectar Card, where shoppers can earn points when they spend money at a Sainsbury’s store, one of their petrol stations or other retailers including eBay and Dulux Decorator Centres.
You can get 1 point per £1 on all qualifying spends at Sainsbury’s supermarkets and online.
You can also collect one point for every one litre of fuel when you fill up at Sainsbury’s petrol stations.
One Nectar Card point is worth 0.5p, so you have to get 200 Nectar points to get £1. 500 points are worth £2.50 at Sainsbury’s.
Lidl also has its own loyalty scheme, as does Morrisons and Asda.